Love Never Ends
by bowlofcherries713
Summary: What if Jamie got her miracle? What if her faith reached farther than she ever could have imagined? - A story about faith, hope, love, and God's bigger plan for us.
1. Prologue

Authors note: I wrote this story as a way to cope with my own illness. I just wanted to look at my journey from a different perspective. So pleaseexcuse me if the grammar isn't perfect. Some of the events are true...some I wish were true. :) This story is based on faith and my belief that God can use you in whatever situation you're in. Please forgive me if the updates don't come as fast as you would like them, I don't feel up to writing every day and there are no computers in the hospital. Anyway, hope you like it! Let me know if there is anything specific you would like to see in the plot. R&R.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

_I was twenty-eight years old when I met Walter Rhines. I was in my second to last year of medical school and my grades put me at the top of my class. I had already been offered a position at the Pediatric Cancer Research Hospital in Morehead City, North Carolina upon graduation. My patients respected me and other medical students sought my advice on difficult cases. I was naive enough to think that I knew everything. I had no idea how wrong I was. _

_It was December 23 and I was twenty hours into a twenty-four hour rotation when I stepped off the crowded elevator onto the oncology floor. I had finished my rounds early and I was looking forward to a cup of coffee and a nap on the couch in the student lounge. I had one more patient to see and I could almost smell the coffee brewing downstairs. I ducked under a plastic snowflake hanging from the ceiling and retrieved a chart from the door of room 835. 'Walter Rhines, age 82...', I quickly scanned the front page, taking in the information. 'Acute Mylogenous Leukemia.' After 7 years of studying medicine, a lump still formed in my throat every time I read those words. I pushed the door open and found an elderly man with white hair and leathery skin lying in bed flipping through channels on the TV.  
_

_"Good evening, Mr. Rhines. I'm Dr. Carter. How are you feeling today?"  
_

_"I was hoping you could tell me." he replied with a chuckle. "Any chance I'll get out of here for Christmas?"  
_

_"Well..." I hesitated, trying to find the right words. I had not yet gotten used to being the bearer or bad news. "I think your doctor might want to keep you here a few more days. At least until your white blood cell count stabilizes."  
_

_"That's alright. Not much waiting for me at home anyway. As long as they don't try to keep me in here during fishing season. Then there would be trouble." He laughed hoarsely.  
I smiled, recording the information from various monitors hanging above the bed.  
_

_"Did you say your name was Carter?"  
_

_"Yes, Sir."  
_

_"Any relation to Worth Carter? He was my Ethel's cardiologist for quite a while before she passed away."  
_

_"Actually he's my father." I adjusted the settings on the IV pump._

_"He's a good man. Is he the reason you went into medicine?"  
_

_"No." I reached into my wallet and handed him a worn photograph. "She is."  
_

_"Jamie." Saying her name brought back a surge of emotions that I quickly tried to suppress, reminding myself that I was a professional.  
_

_"She's one of your patients?"  
_

_"My wife." I glanced over his shoulder at the picture, even though its image had been engraved in my mind for years. It was taken opening night of the spring play, and the stage lights cast a soft glow around Jamie's silhouette, making her appear almost ethereal. "That was taken the night I fell in love with her."  
Walter's eyes met mine and he paused a moment before speaking.  
_

_"There's a sadness in your voice." He observed, his cloudy blue eyes taking on a concerned look.  
_

_"She passed away seven years ago. Leukemia."  
_

_"I'm sorry. You must miss her terribly."  
_

_"More than anyone will ever know."  
Another pause. "Tell me about her." he spoke softly.  
_

_"Jamie was amazing. She had faith in me when no one else did. She saved my life. I have never met anyone else like her...I doubt I ever will."  
_

_"No really tell me about her. Faith, love - its not every day you hear a story like that. Unless of course you have somewhere else you need to be."  
_

_I glanced at my watch. "Actually, I'm done for the night and I have four more hours until my shift ends. How much do you want to hear?"  
_

_" I have all night. Pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable."  
_

_I sat down in the vinyl chair next to the bed. Memories flooded back that I had not allowed myself to relive in a long time. I was oblivious to the noise and fluorescent lights of the hospital. My mind traveled back in time and I could see Jamie's face, hear her contagious laughter. A sad smile formed at the corners of my lips. I closed my eyes and began my story._


	2. Reminiscing

I have known Jamie Sullivan since I the first day of kindergarten. I remember being fascinated by the way she bowed her head and prayed over her cookies and juice. When I inquired as to what she was doing she replied simply, "Saying grace." as if it was something every five year old did. I watched her perform this ritual every day before snack. A few weeks later my curiosity got the best of me and I spoke to her again.

"Does God ever answer you?"

"Sometimes." Apparently she wasn't much of a conversationalist.

That night I sat on the edge of my bed, folded my hands, and prayed. I waited with my eyes squeezed shut, expecting the heavens to open up. Nothing happened. In that moment I made up my mind about two things - there was no such thing as God, and Jamie Sullivan was absolutely crazy.

Although Jamie and I were in the same class every year, our paths seldom crossed. When they did, I am ashamed to say I used the opportunity to utter a blunt remark, or make her the object of my latest joke. At recess she could be found sitting on a swing reading. Sometimes she read the Bible, sometimes a novel. In fourth grade my friends and I took to calling her Saint Jamie and sending the kickball across the blacktop in her direction. She would always return it to us, and smile coyly, as if she was in on some kind of secret that the rest of the world didn't know about. To tell the truth I think we were more annoyed by her than she was by us.

Jamie made sure everyone in the class got a Christmas card and a valentine each year, regardless of their social status. She sat in the front of the classroom by choice, and raised her hand to answer every question. She was quiet, but smiled at everyone she walked by and used her allowance to buy toys for the orphans. Jamie was the type of person who adults loved and kids hated, if they even noticed her at all.

By high school Jamie hadn't changed much. She still carried her Bible in her backpack and she could be found perusing the gospels during lunch. Despite the fact that Jamie was in all honors classes, we still had the same homeroom and lunch, and I often found her in many of my electives. She had a habit of wearing the same green sweater every day, and it was the object of many jokes between my friends and I. Her list of extra-curricular activities was one any college would love. She sang in the church choir, participated in the drama club and Red Cross, and tutored disadvantaged children every weekend.

It is in the second semester of senior year where my story really starts. You may find it hard to believe, but at the time I didn't care about my classes or GPA. My weekends were spent partying and my weekdays were spent by planning the next party. In class, I sat in a back corner goofing off with my friends, if I even bothered to show up at all.

I was headed nowhere fast, and I honestly don't know where I would have ended up had it not been for that fateful Friday night. My friends and I had a sort of initiation ritual - jumping off the water tower at the cement factory. It was no big deal, we had all done it, but Clay Gephardt was the first to find the pipe in the shallow water of the lake. He fractured his spine and probably would have died if I hadn't pulled him out of the water. When the police showed up, my friends all managed to make a getaway, I was the only one arrested. I was sentenced to community service - tutoring underprivileged students, joining the janitorial staff...and the spring musical. At the time I thought my sentence could not have been worse. In retrospect, I don't know where I would be if I had not participated in that spring musical. That's where I finally realized that there was more to Jamie Sullivan than I had given her credit for.

I had never been kind to the members of the drama club, and I was not surprised that Jamie was the only one willing to drive me home after practice. She told me about the to do list she had made for her life, and of course I couldn't help interjecting with snide remarks. Anyone else would have pulled the car to the side of the road, opened the door, and kicked me out. But not Jamie. She just smiled sweetly and kept driving.

A few days later I approached her in school and asked her to help me learn my lines. She agreed on one condition - she made me promise not to fall in love with her. It is the only promise I made to her that I have ever broken.

I remember the first time I arrived at her house after school. I rang the doorbell impatiently, embarrassed to be seen standing on her front porch. As we rehearsed day after day, it became apparent that acting was not one of my strong suits, but Jamie worked with me and never complained. I admit that I could have been kinder to her over those first few weeks, but Jamie was patient and forgiving, and as time passed I was surprised to find that I enjoyed spending time with her. Jamie saw something in me that no one else did. She believed in me long after everyone else had given up.

Our weeks of preparation finally came to a close on March 1, 2002. I sat backstage on opening night, wondering if I would be the downfall of the play. Needing reassurance I searched the halls for Jamie, I was informed by our drama teacher, Miss Garber, that she would be arriving late. As the curtain went up, I quickly forgot about Jamie, until she appeared on stage in Act II, scene 4. I was in the middle of a line, and my voice caught in my throat when I saw her out of the corner of my eye. Her hair fell across her shoulders in glossy curls and her blue satin gown grazed the floor as she walked towards me. As beautiful as she was, it was her voice that I remember most about that night. When she began to sing a lump formed in my throat. The sound that flowed from her lips was indescribably sweet and melodic, second only to a choir of angels. At that moment I fell in love with Jamie Sullivan.

When the song ended, the audience exploded into a thunder of applause, but I saw only Jamie. As the curtain went down, I finally conceded to what my heart had been telling me for weeks, and leaning across the table, I kissed her.

After the play was over, my life returned to normal. However, Jamie's absence in my life was conspicuous, and over the passing weeks, I could not get her off my mind. My friends must have noticed, as they became especially malicious towards her. One afternoon she was particularly hurt, and I found myself driving her home from school. Parking the car in front of her house I spoke the words that had been running through my mind for the past ten minutes, maybe even the past month, and asked her to dinner. She declined, as she was not allowed to date. After watching her disappear through her front door, I immediately drove to church where I presented my case to her father. After much deliberation and an infallible argument on my part, he conceded.

I found myself spending my Friday nights attempting to cross of items on Jamie's to do list. The smile on her face after being in two places at once was worth the two-hour drive to the state line. I even gave her a temporary tattoo, which after applying, I prayed her father wouldn't notice. We spent our time at the pier talking about God, or stargazing in the cemetery, where Jamie showed me a plethora of stars and distant galaxies. Jamie not only showed me how to dance and locate the Milky Way, she showed me how to live. I was in love, and I felt like I was on top of the world.


	3. Only Hope

It was 9:00 on a breezy Friday night. Jamie and I had just left Baskin Robins where we were working on her #52 - try all 31 flavors. Jamie was quiet as we walked through the streets of downtown Beaufort, and I tried to break the awkward silence between us.

"Hey, 12 ice cream cones down, only 19 more to go."

She forced a smile. We passed by my friends coming out of the diner. I worried that Jamie was offended by the look they gave her, but she didn't seem to notice them. I was beginning to wonder what was on her mind - it was unlike Jamie to pass by anyone, even a total stranger, without at least a friendly smile.

"Worried about your college applications"

"No." We turned the corner into the alley behind he diner. "I'm not applying to college."

"I thought you said"

"No, you assumed."

"Gonna take a year off? Try the peace corp thing"

"No."

"Okay." I could see tears welling in the corners of her eyes. I prepared for what I thought would be the worst-case scenario, assuming she was trying to break up with me. I was sure we had been in love, and I began searching my mind for reasons why she was doing this. Had I done something wrong? Was it my friends? Her father? When Jamie looked at me I could see despair behind her eyes. Nothing in the world could have prepared me for what happened next.

"I'm sick."

"I'll take you home. You'll be better tomorrow" The flu had been going around school, and I assumed that's what she meant.

"No. Landon. I'm sick." She paused briefly and something in her expression made me feel uneasy. "I have leukemia."

It wasn't possible. I was sure I had misunderstood her. "No. You're- you're 18, you're perfect."

"I found out two years ago. I've stopped responding to treatments." She shrugged and looked at me sadly, as if there was nothing else she could say.

I studied her face. She looked so healthy; I found it hard to believe what she was telling me. "Why didn't you tell me"

"The doctor said I should go on and live life normally, as best I could. I didn't want anybody to be weird around me."

"Including me"

"Especially you" Her eyes welled up with tears. "I was getting along with everything fine. I accepted it. Then you happened." She stared at the ground. After sucking in a deep breath, her eyes met mine again. "I do not need a reason to be angry with God."

I leaned against the wall and watched her back as she ran away from me, glad I could not see the tears streaming down her face. I didn't know what to think. My entire body felt numb. In less than 5 minutes my whole world had come crashing down around me. I expect the earth to stop spinning, but it didn't. I stared blankly between the buildings at the people walking by on the sidewalks, laughing, having fun. They didn't seem to care that Jamie, my Jamie, was dying.

I got into my car and started driving, letting the tears fall freely. I cried as I left Beaufort and drove along Interstate 70. I was still crying when I reached Morehead city. I impatiently rang my father's doorbell, desperate for help. In my heart I knew there was nothing he could do, but I had to do something, had to at least try.

I lay in my bed, unable to sleep. Despite the darkness, the image of Jamie's face was clear in my mind. I wondered why I hadn't noticed that something was wrong before. I suddenly realized why Jamie always sat on the bleachers during gym class, and why she hadn't gotten a perfect attendance award last year. I swallowed hard, her voice echoing in my ears. 'You have to promise you won't fall in love with me.'

I spent the better part of the next morning staring out over the water. I tried to think of what I could do for Jamie, but nothing seemed adequate. Even Eric had been somber, not knowing what to say when he approached me at the waters edge. I walked back into my house, and picked up the phone. I tried dialing Jamie's number, but found that I could not get past the fourth digit without hanging up. I was startled by my mother's hand on my shoulder.

"Momma, I don't know what to do." I whispered quietly.

"Just be there for her." She smiled sadly.

When I started my car I had every intention of driving straight to Jamie's house, but 10 minutes later I found myself downtown parking outside Buddy's flower shop.

"Hey there Landon...don't see you around here very often. What can I do for you today" Bud emerged from behind the counter, his overalls stained with dirt.

"Hi Bud. I need some of everything you have." I picked up a pot of daisies and a bouquet of roses.

"Is it your mom's birthday already" Bud asked, helping me load the flowers into the back of my car.

"No. They're for Jamie."

"Wow, all of them? She sure is a lucky girl."

"Yeah, real lucky." I muttered under my breath, slamming the car door.

I had just finished arranging the flowers on Jamie's porch when Reverend Sullivan came up the sidewalk.

"Landon." I contemplated asking him if I could see Jamie, but the thought of her tear streaked face made a lump rise in my throat.

"I'm not going anywhere. Please tell Jamie that."

I spent the rest of the afternoon working on my Camaro, trying to keep my mind occupied. It wasn't until I closed the hood that I noticed Jamie standing in my driveway. I had expected her to look different, sick in some way, but she was exactly the same Jamie that I had grown to love.

"I'm so sorry. I really should've told you sooner."

"No. I made you do too many things, I kept you out" I thought of all the nights we had spent in the cemetery, sometimes staying there until sunrise, and feared that I had made her sicker.

"If anything, you kept me healthy longer."

"Are you scared" I could feel my lip tremble as I asked the question.

"To death." I averted my eyes, unsure of how to respond. "Lighten up." She smiled weakly.

"Its not funny."

She placed her forehead against mine, and her bangs tickled my face. She smelled like freshly cut flowers. When she pulled back tears were spilling out of the corners of her eyes. "I'm scared of not being with you."

"Oh baby, that'll never happen, okay" I wrapped my arms around her, feeling that if I held on to her tight enough, I could somehow keep her with me. "I'll be here."

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the pier where we had our first kiss. It had become a favorite spot of ours, and we often spent hours sitting on the bench watching the sunset. I had a lot of questions, and Jamie answered them as best she could. I looked out over the water as a fishing boat was coming in for the night. "How much time do you have" I asked quietly. Part of me was hopeful that she would say a year, maybe even more. The other part of me was terrified to hear her response.

"I don't know." The fishing boat passed us by, leaving ripples in the water.

"What, the doctors couldn't tell you"

"No. I don't want to know." She paused a moment before elaborating. "I don't think the doctors could give me a good estimate anyway. They're only human. How could they attempt to know God's plan"

The depth of her spirituality amazed me. "Jamie, this peace that you have...I'm not ready to be in that place yet. Sometimes I feel almost", I hesitated, not wanting to offend her. "Its just not fair. Why is God letting this happen? You, out of all people...it just makes me so angry."

She placed her hand on top of mine. "I know. And it's okay." I looked at her quizzically.

"I think God can deal with a little anger every now and then. He knows we're not perfect, He's used to it. He's been listening to people complain since the Israelites came out of Egypt into the wilderness."

Silence surrounded us for a few moments, the only noise coming from a flock of seagulls circling overhead. Finally Jamie broke the silence. "Landon? Do you believe in miracles"

"Ummm...I guess I'm not really sure."

She rested her head on my shoulder. "I do." Her whisper made a chill run down my spine.

By the time I brought Jamie home, the moon was visible over the horizon and I knew more about Leukemia than I ever wanted to.

The following morning, Jamie didn't take her place in the choir loft during church. Instead we sat together in the second pew as her father announced her illness to the congregation. There were circles under Reverend Sullivan's eyes and his face was drawn as he approached the pulpit. It was obvious he had been up all night.

"Good morning friends. I intended to preach on the wisdom of Solomon this morning, but the Lord had other plans. Before I begin our sermon today I have an announcement to make. As a congregation we have weathered many storms together, bearing one another's burdens as one body of Christ. It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that I must inform you that my daughter, Jamie, has leukemia. We have recently discovered that she is no longer responding to treatments. I would like to turn your attention to one of Jamie's favorite verses, Psalm 73, verse 26. 'My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.' It is my prayer that we may all draw on God's strength during this time..."

As he continued talking I looked over at Jamie, who was staring at her shoes, a blank expression on her face. I put my arm around her and tried to ignore the hushed sniffles and whispers filling the room. Mrs. Washington, an elderly woman who had babysat Jamie years ago began sobbing, and I could feel Jamie's shoulders tense under my arm.

"Are you ok" As soon as I had whispered it, I realized how absurd it sounded. Jamie nodded solemnly.

The sermon that morning was on the suffering of Paul, but I couldn't focus my attention on the Reverend's words. There were 142 pairs of red, tear-stained eyes glued to Jamie and me, and I could feel every single one of them boring into the back of my head. I was thankful to be sitting in the front of the church where I couldn't see the entire congregation staring at us.

After the service, Jamie was immediately surrounded by a sea of parishioners. I moved towards the back of the church to make room for the groups of people crowding the isle, waiting for their turn to embrace her. Many of them had known Jamie since she was a baby, and reacted as if she were their own child. Most of the women were crying, and passing around rolls of tissues from their purses. I stood by the door with a handful of children who were waiting impatiently for their parents to leave. I sympathized with them, and wondered who was more anxious for this ordeal to be over.

Nearly forty minutes had passed by, and Jamie was still surrounded by people giving their condolences. My mother approached me from the group of sobbing women and laid her hand on my arm sympathetically.

"Honey, we should go."

I didn't protest. The scene was becoming too much to bear, and I became drained of energy the longer it dragged on. I caught Jamie's eye, motioned for her to call me, and blew her a kiss. She smiled weakly at me as she was pressed against Mrs. Washington's chest once again.

I sat in my room unable to concentrate, my homework spread out in front of me on my desk. I was glad Jamie didn't call; I wouldn't have known what to say if she had. As the twilight turned to darkness I grabbed my jacket and headed for the door.

"Mom, I'm going out" I called down the hall.

I reached the cemetery just as the first stars began to dot the sky. I had expected to find Jamie there, but she was nowhere to be seen. The emptiness was surprisingly peaceful. The only audible sounds were the chirping of the crickets and my shoes swishing through the unmown grass. I found Jamie's telescope leaning against the back corner of the fence. I brought it into a clearing and after several failed attempts, managed to assemble it properly. Crouching down, I pressed my eye to the lens and was taken aback by the myriad of stars. I thought back to my first date with Jamie at the pier. Her words echoed through my mind. 'How can you see places like this and have moments like this and not believe?' I was beginning to ask myself the same question. I adjusted to eyepiece and the stars came into focus. The beauty of the night sky made my breath catch in amazement. I suddenly understood what Jamie had meant when she said 'I feel wonder and beauty, joy, love...'

Right there in the cemetery I dropped to my knees and for the first time since I was five years old, I prayed. I prayed for the strength and faith that Jamie had. But most of all I prayed for Jamie, the most loving, kind and forgiving person I had ever known. I prayed for her miracle. I sought God with all I had and prayed the words that still sounded so hauntingly clear. "You're my only hope."


	4. Facing the Truth

A/N:Sorry this took so long to update...my creativity went on vacation, but now its back. : ) This chapter is dedicated to my hero Lauren, who won her fight against leukemia and made the world a better place. Love ya girl! hehe

I stuffed my hands in my pockets and fidgeted uneasily as I waited for Jamie to answer the door. After a moment I heard the lock turn and Reverend Sullivan stepped out onto the porch. I had not seen him since church and was unsure of what to say.

"Good morning Sir. Is Jamie ready for school?"

"She'll be right out." There was a brief and awkward silence between us. I scanned the floorboards with me eyes and deliberated offering my condolences. At that moment  
Jamie appeared in the doorway.

"Morning Landon." She smiled sweetly releasing the tension in the air.

"Hey baby."

Jamie slung he backpack over her shoulder and kissed her father on the cheek. "Bye daddy. I'm stopping by the orphanage after school, so I won't be home until dinner."

"Bye sweetheart have a good day." He watched us from the porch as we got into the car and turned onto the main road.

Jamie was quiet and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to acknowledge the events in church the previous morning. "So…" I offered, deciding to try a joke instead, "Nice sweater."

"Landon Carter you're terrible!" she replied, her expression softening into a playful grin.

The atmosphere in the car was light, and for the rest of the five minute drive to school it felt as though nothing had changed between us. As we pulled into the school parking lot, Jamie fidgeted in her seat and started out the window uneasily. She tugged at her ponytail, unaware of her nervous habit.

"So..." I said casually, taking my key out of the ignition, "Are you ready to face the masses?" Jamie nodded, her smile not quite reaching her eyes, and tugged at her ponytail again.

As we walked to homeroom hand in hand, silence followed us down the hallway like a wave. Laughter and conversation ceased as we approached and was resumed by quiet whispers after we had passed by. I was relieved to reach the classroom, only to be met once again by silent onlookers. Jamie took a seat by the window and removed a copy of the Catcher in the Rye from her backpack. She opened the book and began reading, seemingly unaware of the twenty pairs of eyes that were scrutinizing her. After a few minutes, clusters of girls gave in to whispered gossip. I focused in on the conversation going on behind me, and I could hear Heather Gable, the captain of the cheerleading squad talking in hushed tones.

"Yeah it's true. Her father told us in church on Sunday. Everyone was making a huge deal about it."

"Dying is a huge deal, Heather" another cheerleader chimed in.

"How long do you think she has? That would be so sad if she died before prom."

"I don't know...she doesn't look to good, I think she seems more pale than usual, don't you?"

Becoming irritated by the discussion of my girlfriend's complexion, I turned around and gave them a threatening look Heather smiled nervously before averting her gaze to the wall. Jamie remained immersed in her book, and by the end of morning announcements the subject of the gossip around me had changed to Friday's senior prom. The bell rang, and as I made my way into the hallway, Jamie was waiting for me outside the door. She handed me a worn copy of Our Town.

"You might be needing this today." She said with a hint or a smirk.

"Thanks...Listen Jamie, if you need anything, or want me to take you home..."  
"I know where to find you. See you at lunch." She squeezed my hand and proceeded down the hall, ponytail swinging behind her.

I arrived early to English, not wanting to spend any more time in the hallway than was necessary. I was the first one in the classroom, and took a seat in the back. I was absentmindedly thumbing through the book Jamie had given me when my teacher, Mr. Rothman walked in.

"Landon, you're early." His voice conveyed a confounded tone.

"And I'm reading." I held up the book as evidence while he approached my desk.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day." he joked.

"Jamie lent it to me."

"About Jamie," he paused and his expression softened. "I'm here if you, either one of you, ever need anything."

"You know?" I was surprised by how quickly word traveled.

"I've known all year. Jamie often times had to leave school early for treatments."  
I found myself slightly offended that he had known something about my girlfriend that I hadn't.

He returned to the front of the room as a mass of people began to file in. I couldn't concentrate on my classes and the rest of the morning passed by slowly. I tried to ignore the fact that Jamie and I had become front-page gossip and people were paying more attention to me than the lessons. I could empathize with a gold fish, and wondered if this was how it felt to be living in a fishbowl.

When the lunch bell finally rang I found Jamie sitting at our usual table, her nose in her book.

"Hey you." I sat down next to her after quickly kissing the top of her head.

"Hi! How was your morning?" She smiled and closed her book.

"Eh, I've had better," I responded glaring at a girl whose gaze was transfixed on Jamie. "How about you? Are you ok?"

"Mmhmm. At least now what people are saying about me is true."

I laughed to myself. The universe could implode and Jamie, always the optimist, would still find something positive to say about it.

At that moment Eric pulled out a chair and sat down across from us. "Hey man, did you hear the stuff people are saying about you two?"

"Spare me the details." I replied sourly.

"Hey Jamie, you're not on drugs are you?"

"No. Of course not."

"Then I have a few rumors to straighten out with the softball team." Later guys." He rubbed his palms together as he walked over to the table where the members of the girls from the softball team were sitting.

Jamie and I ate the rest of our lunches in the library, away from the prying eye of gossiping onlookers. When the bell rang signaling the end of the lunch period, we agreed to meet at my car after school and retreated down opposite hallways. While navigating through the hallways I picked up on a familiar voice behind me and recognized it as belonging to my former friend, Dean. I focused my hearing on the conversation he was having with girl in an intensely short mini-shirt.

"Yeah he was actually pretty cool before he got involved with that Sullivan chick." I realized he was talking about me.

"Honestly I can't see why he just doesn't break up with her. Doesn't seem like a very promising future." She snorted at her comment and anger began to burn inside me.  
"He might as well wait it out a few more months. From what I hear she's got one foot in the grave anyway."

My body reacted faster than my brain and before I knew what I was doing I had shoved Dean against a wall of lockers and pinned him there. I glared into his eyes fiercely. "You could live a hundred years and you would not be half the person Jamie Sullivan is." I tightened my grip on his t-shirt and raised my fist.

"Mr. Carter!" Out of the edge of my peripheral vision I could see Mrs. Albert, the librarian, scurrying towards me. "What is going on here?"

I backed away from Dean. "It's nothing ma'am."

"Mr. Carter, go to the office. And you," she motioned to Dean, "back to class"

"But he- " I protested, enraged at the thought of Dean getting away free.

"Office, Mr. Carter." Mrs. Albert interrupted.

The hall was empty by the time I opened the door to the main office. The secretary was not in view and I knocked on Principal Kelly's office.

"Landon." He ushered me in, his face clouded with disappointment. "Take a seat. I was just informed of your stunt in the hallway." He paused and I slumped down further in the chair.

"So, let me guess, I'm suspended."

"Landon this isn't the first time this has happened. This fighting has got to stop."

I bolted out of my seat, pounding my fist on the arm of the chair. "But you should've heard what he said about Jamie!"

At that moment there was a hesitant knock on the door. It opened slowly and Jamie cautiously poked her head through the opening between the door and the wall. As she stepped inside the office, a worried expression hung on her face.

"I heard what happened...I wanted to make sure you were ok, I'm so sorry." She said softly.

"Jamie, don't apologize. You didn't do anything." I could hear a hint of anger in my voice, and I immediately felt guilty for directing it towards Jamie.

"Principal Kelly, please don't punish Landon, it's not his fault."

"Jamie, Landon," he began sympathetically. "From what I've heard you two have had a long day. Why don't you go home and we can pretend this never happened. Consider this your warning Mr. Carter."

"Thank you sir." I mumbled.

"It won't happen again." Jamie offered somberly. I laughed to myself at her promise as she led me out of the office.

"What exactly did Dean say?" Jamie asked as we descended the front steps.

I searched my mind for a way to avoid the truth. "Oh, well...just that he had a crush on you." Jamie's auburn hair reflected the sunlight as she tossed her head back and laughed.

Later that evening Jamie and I sat on her porch swing while I finished my homework. Jamie had done hers after school and she was intently reading her bible. I looked up from my World History book and noticed the dark circles framing her eyes. She had one arm clutched across her stomach.

"Are you ok James? Maybe you should lie down." I panicked. I had never seen her sick before and I wasn't sure of what to do.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." She fidgeted on the cushion next to me and I could tell she was lying. Jamie was the worst liar in the world. I assumed that growing up as a preacher's daughter, she hadn't had much practice. She leaned her head against my shoulder, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Jamie what's wrong? Are you getting sick already?" It had been a mere four days since she had told me here secret and I wasn't prepared to deal with the ramifications yet.

"Landon, I've been sick for a long time."

"But it doesn't mean anything...you have more time, right?"

She took my hand and intertwined her fingers with mine. "I've already had more time than most." She sighed and my heart sank.

We didn't move for several minutes, the only sound was that of the swing creaking as I rocked it with my foot.

"Jamie?" I got up the courage to speak what had been on my mind all day. "I've been meaning to ask you something. But don't say yes just to make me happy. Its fine if you don't want to, I just thought-"

"Landon, what are you trying to ask me?" she giggled.

I turned to face her, taking both of her hands. "Jamie Elizabeth Sullivan," I said in all seriousness, "Would you do me the honor of going to the prom with me?"

She looked stunned for a moment, but then her smile spread from ear to ear.

"I thought you'd never ask." She was beaming.

"You wanted to go? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't think you'd want to. I didn't think I'd ever get to..." She looked up at me, her smile glowing in the dim light. "It's my number 28."


End file.
